While US Attacks Net Neutrality, UK Makes High-Speed Internet 'Legal Right'

Published on Wednesday, December 20, 2017
by Common Dreams

Rejecting major telecom company's offer to voluntarily expand in rural regions, UK government says speedy broadband service now mandatory nationwide by 2020

by Jessica Corbett, staff writer

While last week the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rolled back net neutrality rules that allowed the internet to be regulated as a public utility, the United Kingdom announced Wednesday that by 2020, high-speed internet will be a legal right for all British households and businesses.

Rejecting an offer from the British communications company BT to voluntarily provide universal broadband access and improve speeds in rural regions on their own timeline, the U.K. Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport has adopted a universal service obligation (USO) stipulating that by 2020, speeds of at least 10Mbps—or what's "needed to meet the requirements of an average family"—must be available nationwide.

The department told the Guardian that officials felt BT's proposal was not "strong enough for us to take the regulatory USO off the table, and have therefore decided not to pursue BT's proposal, in favor of providing a legal right to broadband."

"We are grateful to BT for their proposal but have decided that only a regulatory approach will make high speed broadband a reality for everyone in the U.K., regardless of where they live or work," said Culture Secretary Karen Bradley. "We know how important broadband is to homes and businesses and we want everyone to benefit from a fast and reliable connection."

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https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/12/20/while-us-attacks-net-neutrality-uk-makes-high-speed-internet-legal-right